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Archive for category Bible Reflection

The God who redeems sin

Feb 5

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Exodus | 2 Comments

Today, I sinned.

I sin every day, but today I was especially aware that I had committed sin, since it was a sin I know to be wrong. I was aware of the wrongness and evil of my actions throughout. Yet the action seemed so natural, so hard to not do. Everyone else does it, so why can’t I?

I wonder if this was the sentiment of the people of God at Mount Sinai.

God saved the people from slavery in Egypt. He brought them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Then he defeats the Egyptian army and leads them to Mount Sinai. God gave his people the law so they could live for him.

God comes and meets them at the mountain and delivers the 10 commandments (Previous reflections on). All the people hear God deliver these, and then Moses goes to receive the rest of the law.

But 40 days later. 6 weeks after agreeing to the Commandments, the people have already broken them:

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ”Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, ”These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (Exodus 32:1-6)

Commandment number 2, specifically. The one which says ‘no’ to worshipping statues and ‘no’ to calling them God. Read the rest of this entry »

The God who reveals himself

Feb 1

Posted by i.burgess in Exodus | No Comments

I’ve been reading through Exodus for the past couple of weeks, as part of my bible in a year plan.

Moses asks God to reveal himself, and this is what the Lord said, as he passed in front of Moses:

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6)

I’m gonna spend a while reflecting on what that means.

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People Management in the Wilderness

Jan 25

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Exodus | No Comments

In my country, I have the privilege of having a Bible in my own language, and have no problem getting my hands on one. God is good.

A few months ago, I realised that I had no excuse not to read this book. I mean, I am a fairly fast reader and 20 minutes a day really isn’t a great cost. So when I go over myself, I committed myself to read the Bible every day. In fact I’m on track to get through the Bible in a year. If you’ve never done this, I’d recommend it. It’s a wonderful discipline and frankly the only discipline I have enough self control to actually put into practice. I follow this reading plan which you can download into your favourite calendar application.

So at the moment I’m halfway through Exodus and loving it. In case you’ve never read the Bible, it’s a thrilling story. Human beings have messed it up big time, But God chooses this guy called Abraham (Genesis 12) and through him decides that all that bad stuff is going to be undone. The part of the story I’m up to now is a few centuries later, when Abraham has become the nation of Israel, who were slaves in Egypt. But God decides to demonstrate his character by saving this nation, and bringing them out of Egypt.

Then they spend a lot of time wondering in the middle of nowhere.

After Egypt, the people are in the wilderness somewhere between Egypt and Palestine.

It’s a great story.

Moses is the hero, who leads the people out of Egypt, who stretches out his hand and parts the sea, who hits a rock and fresh water comes out. He of course became the leader of the people.

But Moses forgets that he’s not the hero of the story. God is.

This guy called Jethro watches Moses judge all the people. Moses decided things for the people when they had an issue. And Jethro, in what must be an almighty flash of common sense, says ‘What you are doing is not good’ (Ex 18:17). Moses is going to burn himself out.

Additionally, nowhere before this point has God actually given the people any laws, yet Moses says he makes known the laws of God.

But this isn’t how it works in God’s community.

Moses gets a bunch of guys he can trust, and sets them up as elders over the people to encourage them to obey God. But what to obey?

The 10 commandments are famously dictated to the people from a mountain top. Why? So that all people would know that God is bigger than one man, God is bigger than our ideas. And he shows that no one gets a special privilege. Everybody gets the chance to hear what God says.

I find it interesting that God gives his laws AFTER Moses sets up these leaders. Literally the next chapter, God speaks to the people.

It’s like God is saying ‘This is me, this isn’t Moses’ ‘I’m your hero, I’m your king, I’m your rescuer and your love.’

The elders and decision makers exist to hold people accountable to a law they have all heard. They don’t get to make it up.

God is so committed to his people that he sets up this system where people can ask questions and have help in applying his laws to their lives. That’s his grace.

I wonder if I have those around me who will encourage me to obey God. It’s not about people telling me their best ideas, but examining the scriptures and honestly holding my life in that light. I ask God for such men and women in my life, and thank God for those he has given me.

People management in God’s community is not about good ideas, but about honestly seeking to obey him in all things.

Glory to his name.

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10 ‘words’

Jan 6

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Exodus | No Comments

Based on this familiar passage
You are the Living God, no speechless idol, with glory that shines brighter than the flash photography that depicts the gods of this world.
You are Holy, and I do not worship you lightly. I call you my God with reverence and fear.
You worked so you could rest, let me not forget, Oh God, my working looks forward to the rest I have in you
You are the one that brought me into this world at this time, seeing my parents fit to carry me thus far. Help me to bring them the honour due, and in turn receive your promised honour.
You created me for community, to enjoy the company of others. Do not let me become corrupt and breathe death and contempt for your children.
You made it so that a man and woman may become the ultimate expression of community, and Lord let me bless that union, forbid me from corrupting it with my thoughts, words or deeds.
You provide enough for each person in this world, Do not let me take that which you have given another.
You are the God of perfect justice, you love the truth for you are Truth. May my words be true, do not allow my words to become corrupt, bending towards my own will.
You are the Lord, the God who redeems me from slavery. In you I have my freedom, so train my eyes towards yourself that I might not desire the things you give to others. All things are yours and I have no claim over them.
Amen

How Majestic Your Name

Jan 5

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Prayers, Psalms, Spirituality | No Comments

Sadly I can’t see the moon from my current position, without straining to look around.

I think the night sky can unite many of us, throughout the ages and across the world people have looked up, out and encountered something far bigger and outside of themselves

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Work ceases in the dark. Tending of fields and growing of crops can’t be done at night. This is animportant fact, if you are living in the ancient near east, where crop growing is one of the central activities of your countries economy.

Funnily enough, not a lot has changed. Most work still occurs in the daytime, when the sun rules the sky and its brightness and warmth permits life to carry on.

One of the great kings of the ancient near east, called David, wrote on the night sky. His words carry weight for me tonight.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

The eighth Psalm is a wonderful one. The night sky, for this song writer, reminds him that God’s concern for his people extends into the night time. When working ceases and we must surrender our bodies to sleep, God has set the moon and stars in the sky to watch over us. When we are busy resting, God is still at work.

What grace! What astonishing love and care! God who is above and outside of our world still cares for it, when we surrender our control and our activity.

This was the perplexity of the king. It’s amazing to think that God would hold man in his hands

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,

Whilst we have been given great responsibility over creation, there comes a point where we must surrender that control, as we rest and sleep.

I want to remember this year, a new school year, that God is mindful of me, even when I am mindful of… well nothing at all. I don’t need to be strong, wise or great for God to be mindful of me. What a relief!

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
God I seek the peace that comes from knowing where I stand
That comes from knowing that I am a limited being, that I don’t have all the power
Or all the wisdom
Or all the glory
For these are yours, and they are gifts bestowed upon fragile human frames
God remember me, be mindful of me when I cease to be mindful of anything at all
For your name is majestic in all the earth
Amen

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Kings, Pagans and the God-baby. Part 4

Dec 31

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Matthew | No Comments

19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,20saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

God’s plan rests in Mary’s arms, God’s plan rests in Joseph’s leadership. What kind of a man is Joseph? What kind of a woman is Mary? Ordinary people caught up in this massive story, ordinary people who would listen to God.

Herod died. He’s just a man. God’s son outlasted him. God won.

And yet, there is doubt and confusion on Josephs part. Scared of Herods son, he goes and lives somewhere else.

But this is ok. Josephs doubting is ok, because even in his doubt and semi-faith, God’s plan has succeeded. God knew his fears, and sent him to Nazareth instead.

Human scheming and plans have failed, ultimately. Herod is dead, gone the way of all men. But thisheaven-sent child is carried through all this turmoil safely.

Because God is in control.

Do you know this?

I mean, really know it?

Can you understand that God is in control, and he is bringing about salvation?

Because Herod is not the King of the Jews. He’s not the messiah.

The message of Christ is that all things – even the most horrific of deeds – are written as parts in God’s script. The great big story of the world, where Jesus is the hero.

This is good news! This is the story we can become a part of! The God we follow, the road we walk, the adventure we live! What part in God’s story are you going to take? If you know that the hero is Jesus the Nazarene, why not follow him!

For me, it means daily reminding myself that I am not in control, that I am not God. Because I find it so tempting to try and manipulate my world. I struggle with the temptation to accumulate as much money as I can, because as a student I don’t really know where its all gonna come from. I’ve got fees to pay, a car to afford and a life to live. So for me its really tempting to just hoard money.

But knowing God is in control, knowing that his plan is salvation for all people frees my money. I can then tithe, I can then give my money to charity, or invest in my friends lives, give my time and money for the encouragement of others.

The state of the economy doesn’t dictate how much I’m, willing to give – God does.

And yeah, actually one day that might mean I fall on hard times.

But that’s ok, because God is in control!

That might be true for you, or God might lead you in another way.

For me, it also means that I’m not freaked out when the government fails, or leaders break their promises. God is bigger than parliament. God is bigger than ‘Liberal or Conservative’ ‘them or us’. But when I know I am part of God’s story, I have the power of the Spirit to work through all things for the kingdom of God.

Perhaps it’s tempting to think that if God is in control, I don’t need to ‘do’ anything. If God is in control, why do I need to share Jesus, why do I need to go to church, why do I need to pray, why complain against unfair laws, or write letters to the MP?

Because when we know God is in control, what we receive is an invitation. An invitation to become part of something bigger than ourselves! Our work, rest, and play all become part of God’s story to save the world. How amazing is that!

(pause) I wonder where this meets your life?

Knowing God is in control, and that he will always cause his plan to succeed. What does that change for you, this new year?

All the failures and broken promises of Copenhagen – God is in control

Who’s going to win the next election? – God is in control

Is the pound up or down? – God is in control

Am I going to lose my job? – God is in control

Will I get the grades? – God is in control

Will my children get into the right school? God is in control

What does this mean, for you?

Kings, Pagans and the God-baby. Part 3

Dec 30

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Matthew | No Comments

13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ”Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

So this psycho king decides to kill children. This is a little bit hard to believe, I know, but bare in mind He killed several of his own children and wives because he was afraid of losing his throne to them!

This is nothing new. The Romans knew all about killing each other to protect their power. The legendary murder of Julius Caesar, wars and sieges were how you ‘made yourself’ in Rome.

Instead of worship, as Herod promised, there is death. Herod will not bow the knee, he will bring the sword. A politician in the Roman empire. He’s nothing new. Herod, the king of the Jews, doesn’t look any different to the roman oppressors.

And this whole drama explodes because of the birth of one baby boy.

All this violence, betrayal, blood and weeping.

But that doesn’t matter to Joseph, asleep.

Peaceful

Normal.

But here, two worlds will collide.

The world of politics and power meets the ordinary lives of an ordinary family.

‘Run, Run to Egypt, run for your life!’

Because the Empire is not how God works. God is not a politician, nor an economist, nor a billionaire, nor a general. The powers and rulers of this world don’t ‘get it’. They don’t get who this Jesus is. Is he a Conservative or a Liberal? Is he for us or for them?

No, he’s a baby boy. A special baby boy, who is the hope of the world.

The Roman Empire knows only violence. The only way it can succeed and maintain peace is with it’s swords, guns, bombs, money and threats.

But the Saviour of the World is a baby who hides in Egypt.

Whilst Herod slaughters the children. The Empire murders the innocent. To protect itself, to maintain peace!

Where were you, God? Where were you when they took my son! Where were you when they killed my family, when I lost everything?!

God was in Egypt. And he is about to make his debut in the world. What’s it gonna look like?

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Kings, Pagans and the God-baby. Part 2

Dec 29

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Matthew | No Comments

9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures,they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:9-12)

The strange guiding star in the sky, which has enticed these mystics to travel for so long finally leads them to their destination. These wandering astrologers are led to a baby. And they worship this baby.

Now, throughout the Old Testament the Israelites are told to worship only God, who is unseen! Yet strange men bow before a crying, pooping, eating, sleeping baby! No one stops them, nor protests when strange gifts are presented.

Gold, for royalty. Frankincense for prayers and myrrh for the grave. Confusing.

Is this baby supposed to be God, or a king, or a priest or is he to suffer? Well he can’t be all four. Can he?

What if these pagans knew something the religious leaders did not, something that made the city afraid, something that threatened Herod and his kingdom. Far from the world of roman politics, is this small worship setting. Away from the blood and slander, far from the betrayal and lies in the senate.

Strange, dangerous, risky. What if the neighbours saw what was happening? What if the leader of the synagogue knew?

No, that doesn’t matter now. This strange child is bigger than all of that. God is bigger than all of that. All our ideas about the way things are and the ways things should be… changed. Because God has broken a 400 year silence. And we don’t know what to expect.

But there is joy to be had. This is a baby worth celebrating. Worth giving extravagant gifts to.

It’s all a little bit ridiculous. The promised saviour has come, and some random foreigners are the only ones who mark the occasion.

What, was Herod blind? Could he not see that God was about to do something?

Maybe he could, maybe he just didn’t like it.

Kings, Pagans and the God-baby. Part 1

Dec 28

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Matthew | No Comments

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-8)

The king has come! Finally, it’s been 400 years since God last spoke to his people through the prophet Malachi. 400 years of silence. The Assyrians, Greeks, Romans have all conquered the land. God’s people are forgotten, they have been ruled over by foreign powers for centuries.

The king has come! And these strange characters from the east show up in town, stir up trouble. They want to come worship this child. But who worships kings? These men don’t quite get it, do they? Kings don’t get worshipped… God does. Good religious people certainly do not worship other people! The Romans worship their emperor, but the Jews refuse to. No wonder the city has been stirred up!

The king has come! It’s been a long time, but oh how we have longed for it. Longed to be free, longed for God to come near to us, longed for God to listen to us again. The promises of Malachi, that the ‘sun of righteousness would rise with healing in his wings’ are empty words. Bitter to taste.

But there is already a king of the Jews. The Romans ruled by setting up local rulers. Herod was a king, given his power by the Roman Empire. The Empire ruled everything-it went on forever! So what is there to do, obey the empire? Surrender to the king? Hope in your heart that God will save the day.

Another world away, in Bethlehem a young family have just started out. A newly wedded couple and their first son. What could be better? Imagine the busyness, Joseph working, Mary nursing this child. Suddenly this boy has become this new couple’s entire world! You know how it is, ever seen it? When new birth happens, it changes everything.

But not Jerusalem. Not the Empire.

Trouble is being stirred, the rulers and powers of this world are afraid. Because if news of this king, born of the line of David gets out it could be enough for the Jews to rise up against their roman oppressors. Herod would lose his throne, his world would come crashing down around him in a rush of nationalistic pride.

Because of these strange foreigners.

Herod’s self-ambition, the misguided religion of these mystics and a small baby boy. Did they know they were part of a story which was to change the world?

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winter wonderland // frozen wilderness

Dec 21

Posted by i.burgess in Bible Reflection, Hebrews, Life, Spirituality | No Comments

It’s snowing in december!

This may not seem a big deal for people not in the UK, but over here it snows once a year if you’re lucky, and then usually in february or march. And where I am, the snow has been here a few days now.

I remember looking out on this unexpected white blanket when daylight was enough that I could examine the vast expanse of now alien landscape before me.
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